The Mystery of the Scar-Faced Beggar

Alfred Hitchcock and The Three Investigators #31

by M.V. Carey

Bob wundert sich über eine befremdliche Begegnung mit einem "Blinden" - oder ist es etwa ein "Blender", dieses Narbengesicht? Und schon haben die drei ??? wieder eine ganze Menge Puzzleteile zusammenzusetzen. Richtig gefährlich scheint die Sache aber zu werden, als plötzlich "Wanzen" auftauchen und von illegalem Handel die Rede ist, als das "Motel Seeblick" mitsamt dem Berg ins Rutschen kommt und die "Maria II" ihre letzte Fahrt antritt, die so dramatisch enden wird...

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Childrens, Young Adult, Adventure, Audiobook, Detective

181 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1981

About the author

Also known as Mary V. Carey
Personal: Born May 19, 1925, in New Brighton, Cheshire (now Merseyside), England; brought to the United States in 1925, naturalized citizen in 1955; daughter of John Cornelius (an engineer) and Mary Alice (Hughes) Carey. Home address in 1993 was 3748 Birch St., Ventura, CA.

Ms Carey passed away in 1994.

Education: College of Mount St. Vincent, B.S., 1946.

Religion: Roman Catholic

Career: Coronet, New York City, editorial associate, 1948 - 55; Walt Disney Productions, Burbank, CA, assistant editor of publications, 1955 - 69; free-lance writer 1969 - 1994.

Member: PEN; Mystery Writers of America; Society of Children's Book Writers; Women in Communications.

Awards, Honors: Southern California Council on Literature for Children and Young People Award, 1986, for "A Place for Allie".

Hobbies and Interests: Walking on the beach.

Writings:
Novelizations of Walt Disney Motion Pictures:
(With George Sherman) WD's "Babes in Toyland" Golden Press, 1961.
WD's "The Sword in the Stone" Whitman, 1963.
The Story of Walt Disney's Motion Picture "Mary Poppins" Whitman, 1964.
WD's "The Misadventures of Merlin Jones" Whitman, 1964.
WD's "Donald Duck and the Lost Mesa Ranch" Whitman, 1966.
The Story of WD's Motion Picture "Jungle Book" Whitman, 1967.
The Story of WD's Motion Picture "Blackbeard's Ghost" Whitman, 1968.
"Mrs. Brisby's Important Package" (adapted from film "The Secret of NIMH), Golden Press, 1982.

Juveniles:
"Raggedy Ann and the Glad and Sad Day", Golden Press, 1972.
"Little Lulu and the Birthday Surprise, Whitman, 1973.
"The Tawny, Scrawny Lio and the Clever Monkey" Golden Press, 1974.
"Alonzo Purr, the Seagoing Cat", Western Pub., 1974.
"The Owl Who Loved Sunshine", Golden Press, 1977.
"The Gremlin's Storybook", Golden Press, 1984.

The Three Investigators Mystery Series (Random House):
"The Mystery of the:
#15 Flaming Footprints, 1971.
#17 Singing Serpent, 1972.
#20 Monster Mountain, 1973.
#21 The Secret of the Haunted Mirror, 1974.
#23 Invisible Dog, 1975.
#24 Death Trap Mine, 1976.
#27 Magic Circle, 1978.
#29 Sinister Scarecrow, 1979.
#31 Scar-Faced Beggar, 1981.
#32 Blazing Cliffs, 1981.
#34 Wandering Cave Man, 1982.
#36 Missing Mermaid, 1984.
#39 Trail of Terror, 1984.
#41 Creep-Show Crooks, 1985.
#43 Cranky Collector, 1987
FYF#8 The Case of the Savage Statue, 1987.

Other:
(Editor) Jane Black, "The Indispensables", Hewitt House, 1971.
"Step-by-step Candlemaking", Golden Press, 1972.
"Step-by-step Winemaking", Golden Press, 1973.
"Love Is Forever" (collection of prose and poetry), C.R. Gibson, 1975.
(With George Sherman) "A Compendium of Bunk", C.C. Thomas, 1976.
(Editor) "Grandmothers Are Very Special People", C.R. Gibson, 1977.
"A Place for Allie" (young adult novel), Dodd, 1985.

Sidelights: Carey told Contemporary Authors: "I began writing late; my first articles and stories were published after I was thirty, and I was motivated by money. Money is not a bad motivation. The need to eat keeps us from laziness, and the fact that someone is willing to pay to read what we write assures us that we have indeed written."

"I think that writing should be honest and simple, and it should say something about what it means to be a person. When God is good to us, we write in such a way that the act of reading becomes a pleasure to those who buy our books. This experience doesn't happen all the time, but when it does it is at least as heady as winning the Irish sweepstakes. It makes mere competence seem dull. It is probably also what makes writing a compulsive occupation; some of us are uncomfortable when we are away from our typewriters for any length of time."

"My lifelong ambition, aside from writing, is to finish exploring the American West. This should keep me busy for at least another thirty years, since there is a

Reviews

[Lea · Rating 2 out of 5]

M.V. Careys Stil ist wie immer angenehm und leicht zu lesen, aber der Fall ist einfach wirr und unverständlich. Das ging mit bereits beim Hörspiel so, ist leider in Buchform aber nicht wirklich besser. Keine der neuen Figuren kommt mir besonders nahe und eine richtige Spannung will sich leider auch nicht einstellen.

[MaggyGray · Rating 4 out of 5]

Einer meiner Lieblingsfälle bzw. -folgen. Die Hörspielfolge ist auf Grund ihrer unaufgeregten Sprecher schon sehr angenehm, das Buch dazu hat mich gefesselt.
Vor allem die Beschreibung ganz am Anfang des Blinden war sehr atmosphärisch. Generell einer der früheren Fälle, die in typischer Drei ??? Art einen relativ einfachen und leicht nachzuvollziehenden Hintergrund bilden, und vielleicht gerade dadurch spannend umgesetzt werden konnten.

[Quentin Wallace · Rating 3 out of 5]

This wasn't a bad mystery, but wasn't really one of the better one either. I have yet to go below three stars for a Three Investigators story, and probably never will. I just enjoy the characters too much, and even if the stories are a little formulaic they are still a fun read.

This one did have some international intrigue as the plot dealt with rebels in a Latin American Country, bank robbing, gun running, and a high speed boat chase to boot. I did enjoy it, just didn't think it was top tier. Still, if you're a Three Investigators fan, I'm sure you'll want to give this one a read.

[Elizabeth S · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this one, the three boys do more "real" detective work than we usually see them do. In my opinion, Carey's earlier contributions to the series were quite weak. However, his writing and his portrayal of the boys has improved to the point that I think this is one of the best of the whole series.

The interesting part of this book is the introduction of Hector Sebastian. Originally the series used Alfred Hitchcock as a character who introduced the write-up of the boys' adventures. After Hitchcock's death in 1980, the fictional Sebastian was introduced to replace Hitchcock. For a number of reasons, the series was later rewritten without Hitchcock's name. All of Hitchcock's appearances were replaced by Hector Sebastian. I don't know if this book was also rewritten in later editions, but at least the edition I have shows that Sebastian character was originally not intended to be written over the previous stories.

[Cliff · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's an interesting choice by M.V. Carey to choose to actually involve Hector Sebastian into this case. The unfortunate issue is that she had inadvertently ruined the publisher's intent to ret-con the previous books to excise Alfred Hitchock. It's clearly stated that this is where they first met Hector Sebastian and that they were upset at Hitchcock's passing.

Meanwhile, it's also of note that the writers have elected to accept that these books are concurrent with the time of their writing. Which is confusing that the boys do not age, yet the technology and vehicles of the world advance at an alarming rate. Whether or not this also precipitated the absence of Worthington and the Rolls Royce isn't clear at this stage. But the boys have definitely shifted to using Greyhound Buses as their means of longer distance transport.

[Bearcatgary · Rating 3 out of 5]

Jupiter and the gang are back in action to uncover a bank robbery that was performed a cabal of South American terrorists to channel weapons back to their home country. It seems like the books towards the end of the series lack the creativity that the earlier books had. Not a lot of supposedly supernatural phenomenon going on in this book. Just The Investigators taking down some crooks. Nevertheless, I enjoyed the book

[Jeff Stephenson · Rating 5 out of 5]

T3I Update: 31 read, 12 more paperbacks to go

This was the first T3I book without Alfred Hitchcock as the introducing character and lead mentor. Instead, a fictional movie director takes up the role and actually plays a part in the story very similar to what Alfred Hitchcock did in the very first T3I titles. The structure and all of the T3I elements were still present in this book, and the boys do a great job untangling the mystery. In most other respects, one would not spot much of a difference among this book and most others in the series. The international (South American) presence near Rocky Beach is somewhat over the top, but nothing more than where a few other books in the series go. It is certainly nowhere near as far fetched as the much earlier "Mystery of the Silver Spider." This is a good solid read even if somewhat of a downer because of the loss of Hitchcock not being part of the series. Remember, he had passed away before this book was published and his continued presence in the series was not authorized by his heirs. Hitchcock was mentioned in the plot, but his name was no longer on the cover.

[LobsterQuadrille · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Mystery of the Scar-Faced Beggar marks the very first appearance of the (fictional) mystery writer Hector Sebastian in the T3I series, and aside from this landmark, it is another great adventure from M.V. Carey, involving a frightened witness, prophetic dreams, and the mysterious panhandler of the title.

As often happens when I read M.V. Carey's contributions to the series, I found myself enjoying a few of the side characters almost as much as the main trio. Shelby Tuckerman and Gracie Montoya are characters that have stuck in my mind quite well since last reading this story, and Hector Sebastian emerges here as a more laid-back and friendly successor to Alfred Hitchcock. The character of Don has not aged well, and I tend to get secondhand embarrassment when reading about him, but his appearances in the series are brief and so this luckily doesn't hamper my enjoyment very much. Whether or not you're a newcomer to the series, The Mystery of the Scar-Faced Beggar does not disappoint!

[Red Heaven · Rating 3 out of 5]

Once we're past Shark Reef, we're into the weaker section of the series, although (as some have noted) M.V. Carey's work earlier in the series wasn't particularly strong. This book is a mixed bag. The mystery - a beggar with a scarred face - is not up there with a stuttering parrot, talking skull or even a sinister scarecrow. Despite this lackluster set-up, the book moves along ok, but (as with other Carey entries) gets a bit draggy and a chore to read, before a memorable big bang ending.

[Colton · Rating 2 out of 5]

Pretty underwhelming and forgettable. Skip it and stick to the earlier books in the series.

[Mark · Rating 4 out of 5]

The boys come to the aid of a bank security guard who has been duped into letting robbers in to steal a lot of money. Bob, who inadvertently witnessed it, was distracted by a scar-faced beggar who dropped a wallet belonging to best-selling writer - and ex-private detective - Hector Sebastian and that trail leads to a boat yard near Oxnard and some revolutionary types from a South American country who intend to overthrow the government by force. Briskly told, this tells a fairly convoluted story and it’s a bit stronger than usual, with the boys coming up against gun runners and getting shot at (which I don’t remember happening before). As this follows the death of Alfred Hitchcock (whom Jupe mentions with a melancholic air), there’s clearly an attempt to age up the lads and it works quite well, helped immeasurably by the skill of Carey - although we still see the junkyard (and Aunt Matilda is heard), there’s no Worthington and the boys use Greyhound buses to get around. Locations are well used (especially the climax in an abandoned motel) and Jupe and Bob shine though Pete sits out a lot of the action being stuck in Headquarters manning the phone. On a personal note, this is the first time I’ve revisited the book since at least 2002 (when I started my books read spreadsheet) and it was a pleasant surprise. I picked it up in 1984 (when it was published in the UK) and I was 15, so probably edging away from the Investigators as I discovered horror and the like and as a fan of Hitchcock, I wasn’t prepared to give Sebastian a chance (even though he doesn’t play anywhere near as big a part here as I recall). I wish I’d gone back to this before now but, as it is, I’m glad I gave it another chance. It’s not prime Three Investigators but it’s a good read and I’d recommend it.

[sonofabook · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bob steht an einer Bushaltestelle gegenüber einer Bank, als ein Blinder Mann vorbeikommt und plötzlich erst stolpert und dann vom Auto angefahren wird.
Als dieser sich dann davon macht fällt ihm die Brieftasche aus der Hose.
Am nächsten Tag, als Bob diesem Vorfall seinen Kollegen Peter und Justus erzählt, fällt ihnen auf, dass die aufgehobene Brieftasche nicht dem Mann zugehörig ist, sondern einem berühmten Schriftsteller gehört.
Zudem hat wohl genau gegenüber der Bushaltestelle an der Bob gewartet hat, in der Nacht danach die Bank ausgeraubt.
War es also eine Koinzidenz, dass der Blinde in dem Moment gestolpert ist, oder pure Absicht.
Die drei Detektive gehen dem auf die Spur, doch als sich eine radikale venezianische Gruppe einmischt und Peter und Bob in Gefahr geraten, scheint die Sache keinen Ausweg zu finden.

Ich muss ja sagen, ich finde es immer häufiger so, dass der Anfang sehr gelungen ist, aber eine Folge dann hintenraus Schwächen offenbart.
Ebenso auch bei dieser hier. Der Anfang ist schön und geradlinig erzählt, aber danach verliert es sich in beinahe schon mystischen Vorhersagen und verschiedenen Wendungen. Was wirklich schade ist.

So ist diese Folge nur ein Kann und kein Muss.

[Joe Stevens · Rating 2 out of 5]

A very weak entry in the series which coincided with the passing of Alfred Hitchcock and the introduction of Hector Sebastian to write the introductions. The major weakness of the story is that the three investigators are usually on their own in what is often a solo mystery. A lot of the fun of the series is the interaction between the three friends and here we miss most of that. The plot is also pedestrian and magical dreams are allowed to stand as magical with no natural explanation.

[Remo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Creo que este fue el último que leí de los tres investigadores de Hitchcock. No sé cómo han envejecido, pero los recuerdo mucho más elaborados que Los Hollister o Los cinco o Los siete secretos. Hoy en día tendrían un búnker informatizado, los tres investigadores. En aquella época se limitaban a ocupar una roulotte bien escondida. Los malos eran malísimos y ponían en riesgo la vida de los investigadores en ocasiones. Me encantaban.

[Ibnatul Ula · Rating 3 out of 5]

Menurut saya, cerita kali ini terasa lambat alurnya. Dari awal, susah menemukan benang merah yang terjalin dari setiap kejadian, jadi, yah, endingnya merupakan sebuah plottwist yang cukup mengejutkan haha.

[Elaine Lucky · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoy reading this series from my childhood.

[Roger · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first book in the series introduced not by Alfred Hitchcock but by “Hector Sebastian.” I was expecting to dislike it, but it was one of my favorites

[JBooks · Rating 3 out of 5]

Am Anfang hatte sich das Buch gezogen, aber zum Ende hin wurde es besser :D

[Robert Stewart · Rating 1 out of 5]

Probably the least enjoyable of the 3I books. At around #30 the series went into a slump, with the writers putting little or no creativity into the stories. The publishers really messed up by accepting such awful stories when they should have either brought in new writers or made the older ones put a lot more into their work. It seems that by the 1980s they believed that the new stories would just sell on the back of the older ones and let it go at that. A pity. This book has a very weak plot and boring characters. Reading it was like watching a mortally wounded animal: you just wanted it to end and put it out of its misery.

[Paxton Holley · Rating 2 out of 5]

Read a lot of this series in elementary school. Loved it. Reading it to my son. Lots of fun. Good mysteries, good characters.

For this specific story, again this one isn’t a favorite. It’s kind of confusing and not really creepy at all.

[Money · Rating 5 out of 5]

i love this book

[Eva Siagian · Rating 3 out of 5]

wah cerita kali ini kayaknya byk bgt scene-nya. ditambah lagi trio detektif lebih byk kerja individu. ok lah tp jadi berkurang kocaknya >.< ke-khas-annya getho

[Yavanna]

I read a lot of the three investigators in my early teens, when I was between 11 and 14. I think I read the whole shelf of the library, where those books were kept :) but I remember only a few ...

[Nadja · Rating 3 out of 5]

Am Ende leider wieder ein bisschen zu dramatisch für meinen Geschmack. Ansonsten aber ein spannender Fall.

[Literavy · Rating 3 out of 5]

duniavy.tumblr.com/post/127909847579/...

[Setiawan Rangga · Rating 2 out of 5]

bukan salah satu cerita terbaik petualangan Jupiter Jones, Pete Crenshaw, and Bob Andrews...
ya jika kalian pengikut setia serial buku ini...gak jelek jelek amat sih petualangannya..cerita detektifny dapet

[Mindy]

Is the formatting on this ever going to be fixed? You know it's completely unreadable, right???

Completely unreadable. Please fix. ,.,............................................................. ................
................ .......... ......... ......................... . ......... ........................... ..................................... ................................ ..................words words words words words